Briefly, the present invention relates to an apparatus for collection and retention of debris discharged or escaping around the tailgate of a vehicle such as a construction vehicle, garbage truck or the like.
Highway safety is a continuing concern. Among the aspects of highway safety is a problem associated with vehicles, such as construction vehicles and similar transportation vehicles, which include a bed for the carriage of various materials. Typically, such vehicles will include a truck bed with a tailgate mounted to side walls of the truck bed. The tailgate typically opens in order to enable placement of materials on the bed or to enable efficient discharge of the materials from the bed. Such vehicles, when travelling on highways, may, due to the irregularity of the highway surface, discharge debris as the tailgate is displaced by shaking or otherwise moves causing escape or discharge of debris and other materials. Such materials may also be discharged due to the flow of air over the vehicle cab and around the tailgate.
A solution to this problem is addressed, for example, by U.S. Pat. No. 3,833,255 entitled “Combined Load Cover and Windshield Protector for Dump Truck” incorporated herewith by reference. There are often legal requirements that such covers be provided for dump trucks and other vehicles. However, such vehicles may still exhibit a discharge of debris and other material. Issues of this nature have also been addressed by other patents such as U.S. Pat. No. 2,682,975 entitled “Dumping Box with Hinged Bottom Having Drip Catching Means” and U.S. Pat. No. 2,679,335 entitled “Dribble Gate”, both of which are incorporated herewith by reference. Further developments of this nature are directed to the discharge of debris through the slot between a pivoting tailgate and a truck bed. U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,774 entitled “Debris Catcher” addresses such issues and it, too, is incorporated herewith by reference. Another effort in this regard is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,772,072 entitled “Dump Body Debris Catcher” incorporated herewith by reference.
Nonetheless, the cost of many of these solutions is significant and there has remained the desire to provide a lower cost, yet more highly efficient system to address the issue of escape of debris from dump trucks and other such vehicles. Additionally, a desirable solution to such a problem must consider the safety, the installation of a device, as well as the aspect of simplicity of use, storage of a device of this nature and application of the solution to preexisting truck configurations. Thus, the design for such an apparatus has presented an ongoing problem with respect to the aspects of safety, convenience and cost.